Convicted killer James Riva is selling artwork, such as this drawing, to raise funds for his life, post-parole.
By Laurel J. Sweet Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - Updated: 07:27 AM EST
A proposed bill seeking support on Capitol Hill would make it illegal for prisoners to ship anything through the U.S. mail for the purpose of interstate commerce.
The “Stop the Sale of Murderabilia to Protect the Dignity of Crime Victims Act of 2007” was introduced by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in May.
“Sen. Cornyn is a former judge and former state attorney general and just thinks it’s repugnant and reprehensible that criminals are able to profit from their crimes,” said spokesman Brian Walsh. “They’re being victimized twice.”
Murder-for-profit sales have been outlawed in a half-dozen states, including Texas, but are perfectly legal in Massachusetts.
Declaring it a violation of free-speech rights, the state Supreme Judicial Court in 2002 struck down the Legislature’s attempt at a local “Son of Sam” law akin to the one New York enacted to block 1970s serial killer David Berkowitz from selling his life story.
More recently, Waltham state Rep. Peter J. Koutoujian’s efforts to stop cons from cashing in have fallen on deaf ears at the State House, while the likes of convicted Springfield serial sex slayer Alfred Gaynor and 1992 Simon’s Rock College gunman Wayne Lo have found new careers in the bizarro world of murderabilia celebrity.
Former Boston resident Andy Kahan, a nationally recognized anti-murderabilia activist, hopes by tackling the problem through the mail, Internet auction houses specializing in the letters, drawings, hair and bodily fluids of killers will die a quick death.
“Obviously, an additional felony won’t mean much to these guys,” Kahan said, “but if you dry up the source, the dealers won’t have the items to sell.”
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